Button-covering device



v. "'4- 44 2 6 INVENTOR NW. 22, 1949 H. G. BODTH 3 BUTTON COVERINGDEVICE Filed June.2, 194s Herbert 0,37

\ ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 22, 1949 BUTTON-COVERING DEVICE Herbert G.Booth, Harrison, N. Y., assignor to David Traum Company, Incorporated,New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June 2, 1949,Serial No. 96,789

4 Claims. (Cl. 79-5) It is among the objects of this invention toprovide a compact, rugged and inexpensive device by which theconventional sheet metal blanks of a shank type button may be assembledwith any desired covering fabric, which device is so simple that its userequires no special skill or training, but can be operated by thehousewife for its intended purpose without the need for any specialtools, with assurance that the parts making up the covered buttonproduct are connected and securely assembled and have the finishedappearance of a commercially fabricated button.

According to one feature of the invention a simple two-piece die isused, which consists of a block and a coacting encompassingcollar. Theface of the block has the contour and diameter of the button to beformed, so that when a button shell is positioned thereagainst, its sidewall will protrude from the block. The collar accommodates the buttonshank and also said protruding side wall of the shell, and moreoverpresents an inclined annular cam portion at its outer part to engage andforce radially inward the fabric covered rim of said shell and therebypress it securely about the flange of the shank,

According to another feature of the invention,

or concave depression I! therein substantially across the entire facethereof to conform to the convexity and circular contour of the shell Mof the button being formed. Thus the diameter of Adjacent the flange l8the collar is greatly reduced in diameter, as shown at 2|, to presentthe bore l9. Intervening between bore l9 and the other bore is ahorizontal shoulder 22 merging with a concave bevel or annular cammingportion 23 which in turn merges with the bore I9.

the collar has an inturned flange to engage the button shank and forcethe latter inward against the shell concurrently with the camming orcrimping action referred to.

In the accompanying drawings in which are shown one or more of variouspossible embodiments of the several features of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a dropped perspective view of one embodiment of the deviceshowing the constituent parts thereof,

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the assembled device ona larger scale with the elements of a button therein,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating one of the successive steps inthe formation of a cloth covered button, and

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of another embodiment ofthe device.

Referring now to the drawings, the button forming device or die shown inFigs. 1 and 2 comprises a collar II and a block l2 which are used toassemble a conventional button which comprises a shank l3 to be engagedby collar H and an encompassing shell I! to be accommodated in block l2.

The block l2 which is desirably cylindrical as shown has a body portionl5 preferably formed integral with a flanged end It. The faceof block I5although it may be flat. desirably has a curved The embodiment of thedie shown in Fig. 4 also includes a block 25 and a collar 26. The block25 is desirably cylindrical and is of reduced diameter at the upperportion thereof forming a, head portion 21 and a shoulder 28. The faceof head portion 21, although it may be fiat, desirably has a curved orconcave depression 29 therein substantially across the entire facethereof to conform to the convexity and circular contour of the shell llof the button being formed.

Collar 26 has a longitudinal bore 3| near one end thereof and a bore 32of greater diameter at its mid portion to encompass head 21. The outerpart of collar 26 presents a shoulder 34 andis tapped at 33 to bethreaded as at 35 upon corresponding screw threads 36 adjacent shoulder28 of block 25. Intervening between bore 3| and larger bore 32 is ahorizontal shoulder 39 merging with a concave bevel or annular cammingportion 4| which in turn merges with bore 32;

Desirably the block 25 and the collar 26 each has a hand hold associatedtherewith. To this end, for example, each has a transverse bore 42 andB3 therethrough respectively, and a handle rod 44, 45 is providedpositioned in each of said bores respectively and extending therefrom.

In order to form a covered button, the curved bottom surface of theshell l4 thereof is positioned on a piece of fabric 46 at least severaltimes the diameter thereof. The outer edge 41 of the fabric is thereuponbrought together over the mouth of the shell and a piece of thread 48may be wound around the gathered cloth, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Theexcess material over the wound thread 48 may thereupon be cut off as at49.

The shank member l3 which may be covered in a manner similar to thatheretofore described with respect to the shell, or which may beuncovered as shown in Fig. 2, may then be positioned in the shell andpressed therein by the fingers so that the rim 52 of the shank willenter the encompassing rim of the shell and wedge the fabric between theside walls of the shell and shank, as shown in Fig. 2.

With respect to the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the buttonpartially assembled, as above described, may be positioned on base I2 sothat the face of the covered shell ll rests in the concavity l'l thereinand its side wall protrudes from said block l2. The collar II isthereupon positioned over the body of the base, as shown in Fig. 2, toencompass the button part of the shank of which is accommodated in borel9. As shown in Fig. 2 the thickness of the button made up of its shelland shank is such that it supports collar II and permits the two dieelements to be pressed together. To this end the user need merely placethe base i2 upon a rigid surface such as a table and give a smart blowwith the hand or a small hammer to the upper face of the collar whichwill cause the latter to move downwardly.

As the beveled portion 23 of cover H rests on the fabric covered rim 53of shell i4 and as the shoulder 22 rests on the top surface 54 of shank13, the shank will be moved into the shell while at the same time thedownward movement of beveled or camming portion 23 will cam said rim 53radially inward, thereby tightly to press against the side wall 55 ofshank portion l3, securely to clamp the fabric thereagainst.

Preferably the button is assembled by placing the cover I I upon a rigidsurface such as a table and dropping the shank portion is thereinto sothat the surface 54 of the shank rests on shoulder 22. The covered shellportion 14 is thereupon placed over the open mouth of the shank portionI3 with the convex portion of the shell facing upwardly. The block 12 isthen inserted into the collar so that the concave face ll thereof restson the convex fabric covered surface of the shell and by giving a smartblow with the hand or a small hammer to the upper face of the block, thelatter will move downwardly to clamp the shank and shell together in themanner previously described.

With respect to the embodiment shown in Fig. 4, the partially assembledbutton may be positioned on block 25 with the fabric covered shellresting in the concavity 29 of its face. Collar 26 is thereupon threadedon block 25 and the user then need merely grasp hand holds or handlebars 44, 45 and rotate the block and collar in opposite directions toforce the shank into the shell and cam the edge of the shell over thatof the shank as previously described with respect to the embodiment ofFigs. 1 and 2.

In this embodiment also, it is preferred to drop the shank portion 13into the collar 26 resting on a table and to position the shell portionH over the shank portion with the convex face of the shell portionfacing upwardly. The block 25 may thereupon be threaded into collar 26and said two die elements rotated in opposed directions to force theshank portion into the shell and clamp the two together as previouslydescribed.

Thus, if it is desired to cover a button with material matching a dressor coat or other garment to which it is to be attached, instead ofsending the goods to a tailor or button manufacexpense, even theunskilled housewife by the use of the relatively simple devices hereindescribed, may assemble a button with the desired covering at but anominal cost and in but a few minutes.

As many changes could be made in the above construction, and manyapparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be bemade without departing from the scope of the claims. it is intended thatall matter contained in the above description or shown in theaccompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A device for making fabric covered buttons of the type comprising ashank and a shell that encompasses the rim of such shank, said devicecomprising a die including a block having a face of the diameter andcircular contour of such shell so that the side wall of a fabric coveredshell positioned against said face will protrude beyond said block, saiddie having a collar to encompass both said block and the protruding sidewall of such shell, said collar having an annular camming portionintegral therewith for forcing the rim portion of such fabric coveredshell wall radially inward against said shank portion for assembly ofthe button.

2. A device for making a fabric covered button that comprises a sheetmetal shell and a sheet metal shank, said device comprising a two-piecedie including a shell face accommodating member and a shank-engagingmember, said former member having a face of substantially the diameterand contour of the face of the shell, said shank-engaging die memberhaving an annular wall to be telescoped with respect to the companiondie member, the inner portion of said shank engagin die member having anintegral annular camming conformation to engage the rim portion of thecovered shell wall, whereby upon compressive thrust against the diemembers with interposed fabric covered shell and shank, said shell andshank will become assembled with the fabric covered shell rim forcedinward against the shank.

3. A device for makin fabric covered buttons that comprise a shellhaving an upstanding wall encompassing a shank with a correspondingwall, said device comprising a two-piece die affording a cavitytherebetween to accommodate the parts of the button to be assembledtherebetween and having conformations to engage respectively the face ofthe fabric covered shell and the face of the shank element of the buttonto be formed, whereby a compressive thrust against the correlated dieelements will force the shank member into the shell member, saidshank-engaging die element having an annular camming conformation toengage and encompass the rim portion of the shell wall to force thelatter radially inward for compressing the fabric between the shell rimand the shank flange by such thrust action.

4. A two-piece die for assembling a fabric covered button that comprisesa flanged shell and a flanged shank member, said die comprising agenerally cylindrical block having a face of substantially the diameterand contour of the face of the fabric covered button to be formed, thecompanion die member comprising a collar to telescope over said block,the bore of said collar turer which would involve considerable delay andbeing of greater height than said block to afford its bore for forcingthe rim of such fabric covered 5 shell flange inwardly in operation ofthe die.

HERBERT G. BOOTH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 10 fileof this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date I 2,464,956 Winter Mar. 22, 1949Menkin Feb. 3, 1920 15 Number FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britainof 1887 Great Britain June 9, 1921 Sweden Jan. 22, 1923 Sweden Jan. 22,1923 Sweden June 6, 1923 France Mar. 14, 1924 Switzerland Oct. 1, 1925Australia May 9, 1944 Sweden Nov. 1, 1944

